Published: Thursday, August 15, 2013 at 11:03 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, August 15, 2013 at 11:03 a.m.

Recently Thomas Barth of UNCW wrote about our need for core values, including sacrifice for the common good and self-reliance. As our culture becomes more diverse, it seems harder for policymakers to act on these core values. Other commentators wonder about the consequences of changes in our education system. One writer wonders how our actions are aligned with Christian values.

In a recent news story, Jeannette Nichols, vice chairwoman of the school board, noted that recent changes in education by the legislature may have unintended consequences. Many of us are wondering if the changes in teacher tenure, increased class size, lack of assistants, lack of incentives for teachers to attain advanced degrees, etc., will push some teachers to leave North Carolina. If so, will it lead to teachers with lower qualifications?

I believe that numerous trends in education will have unintended negative consequences over time. Some plans sound good at first, but after some thought about where those trends are leading, are questionable.

The legislature is increasing the number of charter schools. Charter schools sound like a good concept. They were intended to be schools that could innovate without the restrictions of regular schools. They would be models of innovation and creativity, and would share their expertise with all public schools. Their focus was to improve academic chances and performance for at-risk students and gifted students, but all students could apply.

In contrast to regular schools, charter schools may hire a number of uncertified teachers. They are not required to provide food and transportation, and students must choose to apply. Who is excluded? Low-income families who do not have the skills and motivation to fight to get into a charter school. Families who do not have transportation, or who need the breakfast and lunch provided by regular schools.

The plan to give vouchers to low-income students to attend private schools sounds attractive. However, do private schools really want the have-nots? Are families who are barely surviving going to be able to contribute to private school tuition, provide supplies and clothing, and provide transportation?

Do we want to strengthen public schools, and make them work for everyone, or are we trying to weaken them?

The neighborhood schools concept sounds friendly and sensible. However, we know that neighborhood schools separate the poor from the rich. Neighborhood schools prevent children from diverse backgrounds having contact and learning from one another. Adults and children with open minds can benefit tremendously from direct contact with people from different backgrounds.

Where are we going? Are we creating programs to keep diverse groups apart, and therefore limit how well we understand each other's circumstances?

In a recent book, "Coming Apart," Charles Murray gives concrete details explaining how the rich and poor in our country are growing further and further apart. He talks about the divisions in wealth, education and culture. People of wealth and power are growing more isolated from the reality of people with marginal incomes, and certainly those in dire poverty.

Murray shows that our policymakers are usually wealthy and isolated from those whose lives they are managing through legislation. One of his lines states the situation simply: "A new upper class that makes decisions affecting the lives of everyone else, but doesn't know much about how everyone else lives, is vulnerable to making mistakes."

My own experience and beliefs tell me that many legislative decisions are not only mistakes, but also waste a lot of money, and they are destructive to our society. As a simple example, young people who do not get the support needed for an effective education are more likely to spend time in prison – which costs taxpayers a lot of money.

Education is the best hope we have for bringing people together, for preparing all citizens for productive lives, for teaching all to care for the common good, for teaching core values, for teaching thinking and creativity. But we can't teach those values unless we believe and live them.

Excluding children from certain schools is counter to building a caring, productive, thinking culture. Children experience and absorb our culture. What do we want them to absorb? What kind of culture do we want our children to embrace and pass on to their children?

Our beliefs are generally inherited and passed on without question. Questioning our values, beliefs and actions, and seriously considering the consequences of our actions, could lead to a stronger, kinder culture.

I am reminded of an applicable quotation from James Baldwin: "For these are all our children … we will all profit by, or pay for, whatever they become."

Where are we going?

Joyce Huguelet is a retired New Hanover County educator who has taught, served as a principal and worked in the central office.

Best teachers will be rewarded

Editor's note: Due to technical problems and a dose of human error, the first part of Sen. Berger's column was inadvertently omitted from print and online versions. This is the piece as it was submitted. The corrected version will run Saturday's StarNews.

By Phil Berger

There are some dishonest but powerful special interests in Raleigh who are forgetting what our public schools are all about. Instead of focusing on the kids, they're focusing on one thing: money for their union members.

The way they talk, you'd think North Carolina schools are not going to open this year because there is no money and all the teachers have been fired. Let's set the record straight:

This year, Republican lawmakers voted to spend the most money on K-12 public education in state history.

We appropriated $360 million more for our schools – a 5 percent increase over last year's budget.

Over half the state budget is devoted to education. And North Carolina spends close to $5 billion to provide our state's teachers a package of salary and benefits worth an average of $55,264 for ten months of employment.

And as for claims there are fewer opportunities to teach? The N.C. Department of Public Instruction website currently lists nearly 1,000 open teaching positions.

Those are tough facts for unions and special interests to swallow. But education isn't about lining their pockets.

So what is public education all about?

Is it just about spending money?

Is it about growing bureaucracy or guaranteeing employment and generous benefits regardless of performance?

We believe it's about teaching our children and empowering them to be productive, successful members of society.

Last fall, voters overwhelmingly re-elected a Republican legislature to strengthen our schools so students succeed. And that's a responsibility we take seriously.

By passing the Excellent Public Schools Act, we've focused on three objectives to improve our schools and opportunities for students:

Approximately two-thirds of our fourth graders read below grade level. If students aren't reading by fourth grade, they won't be prepared for middle school, high school, or college – and they won't be able to develop the skills they need for a successful career.

That's why we've focused on reading in the early grades. We've made it a priority to ensure our educators are well-equipped to teach students the reading skills they need to succeed in life.

In addition, we've recognized it is critical for parents to know which schools are succeeding and which are failing.

Under our plan, schools will be graded A-F – just like our students. And the grade will be visible and well-known to the public. This transparency will help school boards and, more importantly, parents identify underperforming schools and encourage improvements.

Finally, it's widely agreed that the single-most important factor in enhancing student achievement is a high quality teacher.

The overwhelming majority of our educators are top-notch, and they're invaluable to the success of our children. Those teachers should be recognized and rewarded.

That's why our budget includes $10.2 million to begin funding annual merit pay raises for the best educators.

Beginning in 2014, the top 25 percent of teachers identified by their local school boards will receive four-year contracts with built-in annual pay increases. That means over the next four years, those highly effective teachers could earn an additional $5,000 through a permanent salary increase.

But unfortunately there are some bad teachers out there – and if you're counting on one to educate your child, then you understand it's a real problem.

In 2011-2012, just 17 of North Carolina's 97,184 teachers were dismissed for cause. Clearly, our school administrators couldn't remove underperforming teachers from classrooms.

Why? Because of guaranteed lifetime employment offered through the outdated teacher tenure system. The new system allows teachers to work under contracts that are renewed based on performance – like nearly every other profession.

Change isn't always easy. But it's time to embrace this opportunity to empower our children to reach their full potential.

Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, is president pro tem of the N.C. Senate. This first appeared in The (Raleigh) News & Observer, but his office sent it to the StarNews in response to a recent editorial on the education budget.

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